Mike Mangold

[sdgukhsdgl]

well Merritt Island High is not exaclty harvard prep

[MikeG]

to no one in particular

Why should someone with a learning disability be precluded from going to college? There are all types of conditions that are called learning disabled such as dyslexia (sp), or slow learning-- but those people who do not have football skills or other types of skills colleges want-- they have routes to getting a college education. Sometimes it takes them longer to get through it-- but they can also specialize in the field of learning disability andbe a contributing member of society. We can't all be brain surgeons-- so if the kid wants to try it out ANYWHERE-- I say let him try. Maybe it is something he can overcome with the proper assistance. If he never plays for USF, I would still want the guy to have a fair shot of making the most of himself. Shame on the UCF poster who automatically assumes we are out to snag a player and then push him through school without helping him out as well. I'm sure UF was trying that AND that they and other schools that recruited him knew about this condition. If it is so bad that it is impairing his ability-- then that would show up in interviews with coaches/teachers/family. Even if he ends up at UCF-- let's hope for the best. Most people who have talked about him say he is a real good kid.

[Guest AstroBull]

All Brevard County schools aren't the greatest in the world.

[sdgukhsdgl]

the MI High comment really had nothing to do with him or this situation at all... I went to high school very close to MI and can't really stand them

and yes all Brevard school suck for the most part

[Guest S.  Bien]

You'd think this sort of thing would have been discovered before, not after, signing and enrolling in a university.

Ummm, it was.  Mike was straight forward with all the schools that recruited him about his learning disability.  His final three choices were USF, Vtech, and UF, and all three had no problem getting him into school.  The word is he wasn't having problems academically at UF, more philosophically.  They wouldn't play him as a freshman, and they moved him to LB eventhough he desired DE.  

I think this was a case where Mike just didn't fit in from day one, and the coaches immediately tried to move him, and then redshirt him, and I don't think he liked the prospects of where it was heading.   It wasn't the disability since UF knew about it from day one and took the necessary strides to get him in UF, also it was a problem with classes since he wasn't in school long enough for anyone to make an assessment on his ability to competently operate in college.

[Guest AstroBull]

the MI High comment really had nothing to do with him or this situation at all... I went to high school very close to MI and can't really stand them

and yes all Brevard school suck for the most part

Where did you go?  I went to Astronaut, hence astrobull.

[sdgukhsdgl]

rockvegas

[GarySJ]

Bien, thanks for your answer, that's what I was looking for.

I could have worded my comment better, but I was trying to say "Why would a guy quit school over being made to redshirt due to a learning disability?" It seemed to me this sort of detail should have been worked out beforehand. Therefore, I figured the real reason for Mangold leaving UF had to be one of the following:

1. The learning disability had not been previously diagnosed (unlikely).

2. He didn't want to redshirt, and UF reneged on a promise to not redshirt him.

3. Something else was driving this decision.

Per your comments it appears to be #3. In any event, I hope it all works out for him, wherever he ends up.

[Bullpride08]

Gary,

Actually it's been said that it is a combination of #2, and #3.  The learning disability was known well in advance, and UF made the necessary efforts to get him eligible and accomodations to work with the disability.  However, no one can make a judgement on Mike's academic prowess or whether that was what made him leave since he was only in class for less then a month.

They promised to play immediately, they promised to play him at End, then they said he would be eligible and they had some redtape that wasn't completed so he had to sit out a few weeks at the beginning of fall practice.  He then had some run in's, and some situation that made him uncomfortable....its seems to have compounded, and that was enough to get out before it got ugly.

It should be interesting to see what Mike does.  USF was by and large his second choice, he said it numerous times before.  He's good friends with the Verpaele Family, and Danny's now on the team, and STARTING (which sends a good message to him), Kevin's coaching, and I thought I heard the Verpaele family moved to Tampa.  However, his Uncle is the AD at Vtech (the #3 school), and that could be a safe guard.  Or Mike could go someplace real, real close to home like UCF.

It should be interesting.

[Cattle_Prod]

A kid drops out of school basically.  This late in the school year.  What happens to his grades.  Does he get an "I" or does he get an "F"?

How does a kid even keep his eligibility after basically dropping out of school in his first sememster.